Sonoma County's 'Cutest Chicks' from Butter & Egg Days

Now that we’re nearing Easter weekend, we can't help thinking about the adorable participants in the Cutest Chick Contest, a traditional part of the upcoming Petaluma's Butter & Egg Days celebration — it's on April 20 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. this year.

It was a 1920s Chamber of Commerce campaign that dubbed Petaluma the “Egg Basket of the World,” celebrating its status with the Egg Days Parade. Petalumans of all ages donned fluffy chicken costumes and marched proudly down city streets. Giant frying pan exhibits were also displayed. The event was so popular even the governor attended.

The original parade only lasted until 1926, but was resurrected in 1982 by the Petaluma Downtown Association who renamed it Butter & Egg Days to highlight the dairy industry's connection to the town.

These days, Petaluma Egg Farm's Cutest Chick Contest is one of the most anticipated parts of the festival. Pint-sized participants strut across the stage in feathers and beaks with hopes of attaining the coveted title. Collene Camill was the first Butter & Egg Days “Cutest Little Chick in Town” in 1989. In 2016, there was a record of 86 wee-ones who competed. This year, the contest is limited to 70.

Entry deadline to register children is April 17. The contest will take place in front of Copperfield’s Book Store on Kentucky Street at 10:15 a.m.

Click through our Easter-themed gallery of cute chicks and fluffy bunnies above to get some inspiration for this year's contest coming up on April 20.